March 30, 2015 at 3:55 AM (PT)

TECHSURVEY11 which will have its debut at the upcoming WORLDWIDE RADIO SUMMIT 2015 at noon on THURSDAY, APRIL 23rd – consists of more than 41,000 respondents representing well more than 200 radio stations across NORTH AMERICA.

The surveys were completed in JANUARY through early FEBRUARY. THE JACOBS MEDIA team – with partners NUVOODOO – has been busily compiling the data and searching for new insights.

Here's a sneak peak at one of the key data points from the study:

Connecting With The Connected Car

JACOBS MEDIA President FRED JACOBS, who will present TECHSURVEY11 at WWRS 2015, commented, "One of the big stories impacting radio during the past several years is the 'connected car.' At JACOBS MEDIA, we've been tracking this space at the CONSUMER ELECTRONIC SHOW in LAS VEGAS, at our own conference, DASH, and in these nationwide TECHSURVEYS to learn more about this space.

"While there's a lot to be learned by speaking with auto engineers and marketers, there's no substitute for talking to drivers themselves. In our soon-to-be-released TS11, we find that 18% of our overall sample say they own a car with a media system like FORD SYNC or CHRYLSER UCONNECT. But are they happy?

"As we know, these digital dashboards have garnered their share of consumer complaints, some of which have taken their toll in J.D. POWER ratings. But when we asked drivers with 'connected cars' about their overall level of satisfaction, three-fourths (76%) report they are happy with those systems. In fact, half (48%) say they 'love' driving a 'connected car' and use this feature all the time.

"While about one-fifth express concerns about these digital dashboards – including a group that is confused or avoids them altogether – it is clear that not only are 'connected cars' here to stay, but consumers are enjoying them."

JACOBS concluded, "There is a great deal of data about the latest and greatest in in-car media in TECHSURVEY11, and we look forward to presenting the top-line findings at the WORLDWIDE RADIO SUMMIT 2015 in HOLLYWOOD, CA next month. Hope to see you there."